Let's explore Vienna

A huge thank you to Matthias’ lovely sister Anna for assisting in setting up this blog. We hope you all enjoy reading through the information provided on some of the most exciting places Vienna has to offer.

As you might already know, Vienna has a rich history from being the vibrant center of the Habsburg Monarchy mainly throughout the 18^th and 19^th century, to the dark years of the 1^st and 2^nd World War at the beginning of 20^th century. After the 2^nd World War, Austria was occupied by the Allied Powers United States, Great Britain, France, and Soviet Union.

The Upper Belvedere, which you might get to know, became most famous in Austria’s younger history as the setting for the conclusion of the Austrian State Treaty in 1955 with former Austrian Minister Leopold Figl’s most famous words “Austria is free”. This concludes 10 years of occupation and Austria finally became an independent, democratic country as it is today.

Arts & Culture

Explore the city and its' history and culture

Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers with a history of over 300 years. If you want to experience how the famous Habsburg rulers lived and learn a lot about their history, the Palace is definitely a place to see. Tickets can be either purchased online or directly at the office of the palace and cost about 15-20 Euros. If you love walking through parks, we advise you to check out the gardens which are perfect for a nice morning or afternoon walk. The parks can be entered without a ticket but are closed after 10pm usually.

Belvedere

Belvedere consists of the Upper and Lower Belvedere, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables, set in a Baroque Park landscape. Built in the beginning of the 18^th century, it is now most famous for being the home of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” which you might already have seen. You will learn more about this historic place at the Belvedere Museum where you can get tickets online for about 15 Euros.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

If you’ve got some time to pass maybe shortly before the ceremony, we recommend visiting St. Stephen’s cathedral, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna. St. Stephen’s cathedral dates to the 12^th century and has been a cathedral since 1365. Over the centuries it has borne witness to many important events in Austrian history. Even if you are not a regular church visitor, we definitely advise you to experience the impressive Romanesque and Gothic style. The cathedral can be entered for free any time of the day.

Museums of Arts & History

After your walk through the famous “Heldenplatz” where you will pass the Austrian National Library, as well as the Hofburg Palace being now the Austrian President’s residency, we recommend visiting the Natural History Museum and directly, vis-à-vis, the Museum of Art History. Both buildings were opened in 1891 by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary. Constructed between 1871 and 1891, the two museums have been serving as a suitable home for the impressive art collection of the Habsburgs to make it accessible to the public.

Food & Drinks

Experience the culinary highlights of Vienna

Vollpension

Remember visiting your grandma and enjoy some delicious homemade cake? At Vollpension you will feel like being at your grandma’s enjoying delicious coffee and homemade cake served by grandma herself. It is also a very nice place for brunch. The concept of retirees baking and serving became well-known in Austrian TV and is very popular since the opening of the first place. Therefore, we advise you to make a reservation in advance.

360° Ocean Sky
(“Haus des Meeres“)

If you are looking for a fancier spot to enjoy food and drinks, we recommend checking out the 360° Ocean Sky. It is a relatively new restaurant and bar on top of the “Haus des Meeres”, an Aqua Terra Zoo being home to many kinds of fish and sea animals. The restaurant shows you an amazing 360-degree view of Vienna which you should not miss. You can of course access the restaurant without a ticket of the Zoo, but you will definitely not regret visiting the Aqua Terra Zoo. For the restaurant we recommend making a reservation online. Interesting Fact: The building itself was a former defense tower used during the 2^nd World War.

Carl Ludwig

Carl Ludwig is a small but very cozy coffee place with delicious coffee, tea, and pastries. The owner himself is mostly serving you and always in for a chat, also speaking English since the coffee place is the place to be for students from the Diplomatic Academy and Technical University of Vienna nearby.

Café Hildebrandt

If you are looking for a cozy, charming place to enjoy a delicious brunch, we recommend Café Hildebrandt. It is in a museum called “Volkskundemuseum” and a popular place especially by students offering a beautiful garden to enjoy your brunch. Also here, we recommend making a reservation for brunch online.

Explore

Some additional ideas...

Prater

Prater is Vienna’s most famous amusement park offering you a variety of different rides and activities to spend a fun afternoon. You pay for each ride, and not for entering Prater itself. Of course, Prater not only offers rides and amusement activities but also a spacious park for nice afternoon walks.

How to get there?
Prater is very easy to reach. The easiest we recommend is Metro Line U1, by getting out at “Praterstern”.

Tram 2

It does not always have to be an expensive tour to see Vienna’s most important historical buildings. The Tram 2 passes the most important buildings on Vienna’s historical “Ringstraße”. You may get into the Tram at “Karlsplatz/Oper” and enjoy a ride for some stations. A Ticket only costs 2,40 Euro for one way.

In this respect, we also recommend downloading the App “WienMobil” which is very helpful for you to find your way through Vienna by public transport.

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